


The Dark Crystal: Brotherhood

by RockyFennek



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Biology, Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gelfling are also hermaphroditic, Jen has brothers, Just Roll With It, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Retelling, Sibling Bonding, Triplets, What-If, more Gelfling survive, wings equal gender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24363505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockyFennek/pseuds/RockyFennek
Summary: The Master's instructions were clear: only one Gelfling could restore the Crystal. However, the prophecy never said that the chosen one couldn't get a little help from his family!AU where Jen is not Rian's only son, inspired by Discord RP shenanigans, and my attempts at turning them into a serious story.
Relationships: Amri/Naia (Dark Crystal), Brea/Kylan (Dark Crystal), Deet/Gurjin/Rian (Dark Crystal), Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal), Gurjin/Rian (Dark Crystal), Jen/Kira (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place in an AU developed out of cursed fanart and other misadventures on the "Circle of the Suns" Discord server. For context, I recommend reading "A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement" by SnarkyGreenBean, which this something of an M-rated precursor to this AU. To make a long story short, this is my attempt at forming the products of silly RPs into a serious story. This fic is dedicated to all my "Circle of the Suns" friends out there!

The first thing he remembered was fire.

Jen was only a baby at the time, hardly old enough to crawl, let alone defend himself from the Garthim. As his mother bent down to grab him, wings spread in preparation to carry her son to safety, a terrible black claw shot out, the broad side flinging the young Gelfling woman onto the grass outside the ruined house.

Hearing his wife's scream, Rian skidded to a halt, eliciting a squeak of protest from the small creature in his arms, and looked back. What he saw was a nightmare come true.

Deet knelt on the grass, shining pink blood dripping from the torn membrane of her wings. The Garthim that had tossed her aside had now focused its attention on Jen, claws poised to snatch the childling and carry him off for Thra knows what purpose. Neither Rian nor Deet could make it over in time to rescue Jen. All the young parents could do was watch helplessly as Jen cried out for his mama.

And then a miracle happened.

A low hum, barely audible above the chaos of the burning village, rose up, followed by another… and another… and another, until every Garthim in the area was paralyzed where they stood. Previously panicked Gelfling looked around in confusion, unsure whether or not this was yet another one of the Skeksis' tricks.

A shadow flashed behind one of the Garthim, its massive pincer frozen only seconds away from closing around Jen's tiny body. Before anyone could react, the Garthim let out an otherworldly shriek as a metal blade pierced its back, shattering its carapace and emerging through its head in a spray of green fluid.

The monster went limp, its shell collapsing in on itself to reveal the tall form of the little Gelfling's savior. The creature wore a metal faceplate over its wedge-shaped snout, with other mismatched bits of armor covering the rest of its body. Notably, it had four arms, all holding weapons; the smaller two brandishing matching swords, while its main pair struggled to pry a halberd out from the Garthim's broken shell.

"Ack! Curse these overgrown crawlies! Whose bright idea was it to make their shells so thick? I swear, I'm getting too old for this s-"

The warrior was cut off by a loud wailing by his feet. With a gasp, he knelt to inspect Jen, removing his mask to reveal a striped, vaguely avian face. His sharp teeth glittered as he broke into a smile. "Worry not, wee Gelfling!" he cooed - though it came out more like a squawk. "You are safe now, you have my word!"

Jen, who had just been through the most traumatic experience of his short life and now found himself face-to-face with a grinning monster, was too scared to even cry anymore. He simply stared up at the beast, hyperventilating, then flopped backward into a dead faint. Fortunately, a large, outstretched hand was there to catch him.

"Oh, dear… skek… Gra…" a slow voice chided as he lifted the frightened baby and cupped him in his hands. "I think… you scared him… half… to… death!"

"Hey! Heretic, Wanderer? Is that you?"

Looking up from the baby, skekGra and urGoh saw Deet and Rian standing beside them. The Gelfling both appeared to have tears of joy in their eyes, and when urGoh placed Jen back in his mother's waiting arms, Deet hugged her son tightly and sobbed with relief.

Rian also leaned in to embrace his wife and son, keeping a firm grip on the wriggling bundle, which continued to emit odd squeaks and cries. "Thank you," he said, smiling up at Jen's rescuers. "But what are you doing here? I thought you were in hiding."

"We… were…" urGoh began, but the urRu was quickly cut off by his Skeksis half.

"No time to explain, Gelfling, time is of the essence!" skekGra interrupted, but immediately regretted his choice of words. After all, "essence" was what led to the Garthim War to begin with. Instead, he simply gestured for all the nearby Gelfling to follow him down toward the riverbank. As Rian and Deet left their ruined house, they allowed themselves one more look at the burning village. The Garthim remained paralyzed by the odd humming, but their unblinking violet eyes remained fixed upon their prey.

Just below the Gelfling village, the Black River flowed lazily, in stark contrast to the devastation uphill. A semicircle of urRu stood facing away from the docks, heads tilted upward as they chanted wordlessly. Apparently their song could keep the Garthim at bay. As skekGra and urGoh approached with their rescued Gelfling, the largest urRu allowed his final note to fade out as he regarded the newcomers carefully. His eyes lit up as he noticed Jen, who now peacefully slept in his mother's arms. "You have done well, urGoh. And you, skekGra. You have done Thra a great service today," the huge Mystic said, bowing his head. "While I may not understand you, I am forever grateful."

Rian exchanged a look with Deet, but before he could ask any questions, skekGra just patted the couple on the shoulders and announced, “Well, these were the last surviving Gelfling in the village. Not much left to do here but head back up and return a few of those Garthim to Thra. You all have a long journey ahead, and we wouldn't want those pests getting in your way, now would we? Take care, Gelfling, urSu. If you need us, you know where to find us!"

And with that, skekGra pulled the metal faceplate back on and bounded up the hill, cackling maniacally as urGoh loped after him. "Fare… well… Master… urSu…" urGoh called.

Once skekGra and urGoh disappeared, Deet, Rian, and the other survivors found themselves alone with the strange Mystics, not entirely sure what to say or do. "Come," urSu coaxed, stepping aside and gesturing toward the docks. "You may light your lanterns again, Gelfling!"

All at once, half a dozen lamps illuminated the riverbank, revealing a small fleet of longboats packed with Gelfling refugees. To the couple's relief, many of the Gelfling were immediately recognizable as friends or family. Rian and Deet could both see that their parents and younger siblings were among them.

In one boat, they noticed their friend Naia, deep in concentration as she healed a deep gash on Kylan's forehead. Beside them, Brea watched closely; her and Kylan's young daughter Kira huddled quietly on her lap. The little girl's clothes were covered with dirt and leaves, but she seemed no worse for wear.

Naia's husband Amri stood in the boat's stern, his large Grottan eyes scanning for danger, despite their urRu protectors. His anxiety was understandable, of course; he and Naia had only become parents themselves less than a unum ago. Still, Amri was already fiercely protective of his daughter, and one didn't even need to see Letha to know that she was probably sleeping under her father’s cloak in a sling, safe and sound.

Seeing the passengers of the next boat, however, made Rian nearly cry out with joy. He and Deet ran up to the boat, hopped in, and embraced the tall Gelfling passenger with so much force, they nearly knocked him overboard. "Careful!" Gurjin laughed. "I'm glad to see you too, but you're going to squash Rijan!"

Rian drew back a little, noticing large green eyes peeking out at him from beneath the cover of Gurjin's hair. Brushing the locs aside, Rian uncovered the face of his second son, Rijan. With a coo of delight, the baby Gelfling reached out to his father, opening and closing his tiny hands.

"Where have you been, little minnow?" Rian smiled, taking a seat next to Gurjin and allowing their son to crawl onto his lap for a cuddle. "You're soaking wet, you poor thing."

"He has his auntie to thank for that," Gurjin replied, exchanging a nod with Naia in the other boat. She had finished tending to Kylan's wound and had taken her seat as the Gelfling and urRu began preparing for departure.

"No, seriously, thank goodness Naia was here," Deet added. "When the Garthim showed up, she took Rijan and Letha to the river straight away to hide."

"That's right," Naia called over. "We've been down here underwater the whole time, at least until the Mystics gave us the all-clear. I'm glad Letha and Rijan take after their Drenchen parents in that regard!"

"Ah, right. Gills," Rian nodded, and thanked her as he unfastened his cloak to dry the childling off as best he could. Just because Rijan was half-Drenchen didn't mean he was immune from catching a chill.

Since the Heretic had likely killed a majority of the Garthim by now, the urRu had begun letting their song fade out as they prepared to depart. One offered food to the Gelfling, while another distributed warm clothes and blankets. Upon seeing Rian's children, the Mystic simply smiled and offered Deet a stack of fleece blankets for the family to share, as well as bandages for her damaged wings.

Once they were sure all the Gelfling were comfortable in the boats, the Mystics themselves boarded in pairs: one at the bow, one at the stern, and shoved off from the riverbank. Holding an oar in each of their four hands, the urRu proved to be excellent rowers, and before long, the smoldering remains of the Gelfling’s village were just a red smudge on the horizon.

Willing himself to look away from the wreckage, Rian sighed and turned to his family. He had since handed Rijan back to Gurjin, and father and son were both falling asleep. On his other side, Deet was also beginning to nod off, resting her head on Rian's shoulder. He noticed that one of Jen's little feet had worked its way out from under his blanket, and couldn't help but give it a gentle squeeze before tucking it back in. _I could have done more_ , he thought to himself sadly.

The day his children had been born was all a blur for Rian. In fact, between the intense physical and emotional strain he had been under, he had very little memory of it at all. Rian could, however, remember holding the newborns close, looking each childling in the eye, and promising that they would have a great life ahead of them. To him, part of that included providing them a world free from the oppressive rule of the Skeksis.

And yet, here they were, driven from their home with nothing but the clothes on their back. First plants began dying, taking on slimy purple veins. Soon Rian, Deet, and Gurjin stopped receiving messages from their friends at the Castle of the Crystal. This was especially concerning for the trio since it meant they had lost contact with Mira. In the past, she had always made sure to spend part of her leave visiting her partners and stepchildren, but it had been several unum since anyone had even heard from her. Not even Rian's father Ordon knew for sure, and the old captain had been at the castle right up until rumors of Garthim attacks grew too loud to ignore, and the Skeksis began dragging the castle staff into the dungeons by force. Ordon had barely escaped with his life and a handful of his fellow guards. Rian and the other members of the Resistance had done their best to stay hidden and help however they could as the Clans prepared to disappear, but it seemed that their luck had finally run out.

Rian was wrenched from his miserable thoughts as the bundle in his arms began to kick up a fuss. Glancing nervously at his sleeping partners, Rian gently rubbed the little creature's back and murmured, "Shh-shh, you're okay, Daddy’s got you. Go to sleep, little one."

"May I?"

Looking up from the crying infant, Rian saw one of the Mystics eyeing them curiously. Like all urRu, this one had a relaxed demeanor, but spoke with a surprisingly soft, soothing voice. He wore his light brown mane in a loose topknot and bangs, giving him an oddly youthful appearance. "My name is urSol, by the way, Gelfling. The Chanter."

"I… I suppose so," Rian replied cautiously, placing the bundle into one of urSol's outstretched pairs of hands. He held his breath as the Mystic unwrapped the blanket a little bit, uncovering the baby's face. Of course Rian loved his triplets equally, but the appearance of this one was admittedly quite shocking if all one expected was the chubby pink face of a little Gelfling.

Rian's youngest son was only half-Gelfling, that much was obvious. The product of an impulsive tryst with a Skeksis, the child's overall body shape favored a Gelfling's, but with digitigrade legs, a long, flexible tail, and a tiny pair of secondary arms upon his back. He had lavender skin with dark green Stonewood markings, all covered in light, downy fur. Thick, glossy black hair grew on his head and the tip of his tail, but when the light hit it just right, it revealed that he had inherited Rian's dark blue highlights.

The boy's face could best be described as "ugly-cute," though nobody would dare say that within earshot of Rian, or especially Deet. His large, triangular ears were set much higher up his head than average, and his muzzle was noticeably longer than either of his brothers' but was still tipped with a small, flat Gelfling nose. He had no beak, but every time he opened his mouth, one could plainly see that he'd already grown plenty of sharp little milk teeth, which was unsettling to see in such a young child, to say the least. His saving grace, so to speak, was his large, smoky-green eyes, which blinked tearfully up at the Mystic.

Unsurprisingly, urSol's eyes widened at the baby’s appearance, but his stunned expression quickly melted into one of warmth and affection. Gently, he rocked the little creature back and forth, humming a lullaby until the cries faded out into sleepy little chirps. "So it's true," urSol stated. "It has been many trine since a GelfSkek was born, let alone one as strong and healthy as yours. I have heard that the poor things often experience little more than their first breath before returning to Thra; this child is truly lucky. What have you chosen as his name?"

"Deet nicknamed him 'Sunny,' and that's what everyone always calls him," Rian explained, before his expression darkened. "But officially, his… father… named him skekSon."

"Oh… I see…" urSol mused, before letting out an amused little chuckle. "My other half may have a way with words, but not when it comes to names, it seems."

Rian's ears pricked up. "Other half?" he asked, surprised. "You mean you and the Chamberlain are…?"

"That is correct, Gelfling," the Chanter nodded, handing Sunny back to Rian and taking up his second pair of oars once again. "SilSol was our name, once. Perhaps it will be again, someday, if what the Heretic and Wanderer say is true. We shall see, once the Great Conjunction arrives. But for now, you have our word, the urRu will provide a safe home for you and your little ones."

"Thank you," Rian said, noticing that Sunny had finally gone to sleep. "For everything. I don't know how we could ever rep-"

"Don't," urSol interrupted, shaking his head. "Don't worry about that, Gelfling. Rest now, and focus on raising these childlings well in your new home. They will be your future now."

Several miles downriver, high up in the mountains, a much smaller party of travelers were also on an important mission. Two sets of footsteps echoed down the hallway of the observatory: one light and purposeful, one ponderously heavy. They finally stopped in the entryway of a huge room, where a model of the heavens whirred mechanically above their heads. A squat figure emerged from behind a stack of books to meet her guests.

"Ah! Found Aughra's home alright, did you? Wasn't expecting you to be here so soon, Podling. Would have tidied up, ha!"

Hup and Lore had never met Aughra before, and while Lore's blank stone face remained expressionless, Hup the Podling Paladin couldn't help but feel taken aback by the living legend. Mostly by how much she didn't look or act like a goddess. If anything, he couldn't help but think of his eccentric great-grandmother!

Nevertheless, Hup quickly remembered his mission. Protocol and tradition dictated how a Paladin should act in this situation, no matter what. Reaching into his bag, Hup produced a small, oblong item wrapped in cloth, unsheathed the spoon he carried as a weapon, and knelt just the way a noble warrior should.

"From Gelfling Resistance," he explained, proffering the relic to Aughra. "Was told to bring here? For safekeeping?"

Aughra took the object, unwrapped it, and examined it closely. "Hmph. Gelfling are eager to end the Skeksis reign? What a shame… too early. Great Conjunction isn't due for many more trine. Childlings born now will be all grown up by then. What a world. A dark time for Thra's children indeed. Yes."

Hup felt dejected, but was quickly pulled to his feet by the old prophet. "Still, there is much to do, Podling! Doesn't Aughra know it! You, though, have done well. Go, Podling, a reunion awaits you in the Valley of the Mystics. Lore will be your guide once more. Good luck!"

With that, Aughra turned away and placed the object in a box, as if it were simply another piece of clutter to be put away. Hup opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately decided to avoid the inevitable spouting of nonsense. With a shrug, the Podling hopped up onto Lore's back and rode out of the observatory, eager to see his friends once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions, comments, concerns? I probably did a bad job of setting up this AU, so please do not hesitate to ask!


	2. The Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next generation of Gelfling are raised peacefully in the Valley of the Mystics, but they've got a big storm coming. Meanwhile, the Skeksis Emperor contemplates his demise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! Between a sudden illness, commitments to other projects, and routine writer's block, I didn't get to work on this nearly as fast as I'd hoped I would. Still, I'm glad that now I get to give the brothers a proper introduction to the AU.
> 
> Special guest appearance by user SnarkyGreenBean's OC Prince skekMink! Go read their stories if you like cursed but funny content, they're a great friend and writer :)
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter!

There was only Jen. Jen alone.

But he wasn't lonely.

Deep in the woods surrounding the Valley of the Mystics, there was a quiet pond fed by a series of tiny waterfalls. Ever since he was little, Jen liked to come here occasionally to swim, practice songs with his firca, or simply enjoy the quiet. That wasn't to say he didn't like the company of the other Gelfling or their urRu protectors, however, the Valley was only so big. Jen knew he wasn't the only one who felt somewhat restricted, but he and the other young ones didn't dare leave the safety of the Gelfling's settlement. Only the Master could know when they could venture outside once again.

Today had been the perfect day to visit the pond. The weather was mild, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Jen had made a point of getting up early that morning to complete his daily chores to maximize the amount of time he could spend on his outing. He even took it upon himself to start preparing the family's breakfast, until his father got up to shoo Jen out the door, telling him to enjoy himself. Rian knew what Jen was up to whenever he awoke this early. So long as they didn't skip out on their work or cause any trouble, Rian was happy to let his children pursue whatever interests they liked.

After a morning spent swimming laps around the pond, Jen pulled himself up onto a boulder and rummaged through the clothes he had set aside for his firca. The fork-shaped flute had been a gift from Kylan the song-teller on his sixth birthday when Jen was finally deemed old enough to learn how to play. Ever since then, he had learned how to play all the songs the Gelfling and Mystics knew, and even a few Podling melodies from his mother's friend Hup.

For now, however, Jen was happy to simply improvise his music, taking in the sounds of nature while the midday suns dried his hair and skin. He was so caught up in playing that he hardly noticed as someone else approached the pond, disrobed, and quietly slipped underwater.

After another few minutes of playing, Jen set the firca aside and scooted forward to the edge of the rock, dangling his feet in the water to cool down for a while. A school of tiny fish immediately swam up to investigate, and Jen did his best not to squirm as the creatures tested to see if his feet were edible. One "minnow," however, brushed right up against the sole of his right foot, sending a shudder through Jen's spine.

"Hey!" he called out, leaning out over the water for a better view. His dark eyes scanned the weeds at the bottom; he was sure that was the culprit's hiding place. "Come on up, Rijan, I know you're down there!"

"How're you so sure it's him?"

The whisper came just inches away from behind Jen's head, causing the young Gelfling to yelp with surprise and flinch. Since he was already leaning so far over the pond, Jen lost his balance and fell face-first back into the water. As he surfaced, coughing and sputtering, Jen could hear his two brothers, Rijan and Sunny, having a good laugh at his expense.

"You two aren't funny at all, you know that?" Jen pretended to be angry, but the laughter was too infectious. Besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't played his share of tricks on his brothers before. It was just one of their games.

Rijan hopped out of the water onto a rock in one fluid, graceful motion. He loved the water just as much as Jen did, but seemed to have a natural talent for swimming. That wasn't unexpected, of course. Although the brothers came from a set of triplets, the only biological parent they shared was Rian, a Stonewood Gelfling. While Jen's mother Deet was Grottan, everyone agreed that he took after his father's clan, right down to the slightly bluish skin around his eyes and forehead. Rijan, however, had features that were almost perfectly balanced between Rian's and Gurjin's, his other father from the Drenchen clan.

Like Jen, Rijan also had a "Stonewood mask," but in a mossy-green color that was more noticeable against the rest of his dark olive skin tone. The green markings extended down the back of his neck, shoulders, and arms, before fading out just as they reached his knuckles. Smaller patches of green dotted Rijan's cheekbones, as well as the tips of his ears. His left ear was slightly misshapen and missing a piece thanks to a childhood incident, but the boys' parents assured him that this just "added character."

Although he was younger than Jen by twelve minutes, Rijan had always been taller and lankier than his "big brother's" more compact frame. While his size and gills could be attributed to his Drenchen heritage, his hair color and preferred style were very much Stonewood. Rijan and Jen both had thick, shoulder-length brown hair: Jen's was straight with blue and beige streaks, whilst Rijan's wavy hair only had a couple of blue sections near his left temple. Gurjin had offered to teach him how to lock it the way most of the other Drenchen did, but like his brothers, Rijan preferred keeping his hair loose, without so much as a braid or clip.

As for Sunny, he was always somewhat of an oddball in his already unusual family. Although a majority of the other young Gelfling in the Valley were raised either by one or two parents or other relatives, the triplets were the only Gelfling around with two fathers and a mother. While Jen and Rijan each had both of their biological parents around, though, Sunny had never met his other father, at least as far as he was aware. He didn't mind, though. Other than the funny looks he still sometimes got for being a hybrid, life was perfect, as far as Sunny was concerned.

"Sorry, Jen," he apologized, offering a hand to pull Jen back onto shore. Sunny wasn't a fan of water, but he was also heavier and nearly a head taller than Jen. There was no way he would get pulled in.

He could, however, be pushed.

All of a sudden, two sets of hands darted out, lifting Sunny by the ankles and back of his shirt. Jen and Rijan barely had time to shield their faces before their brother was violently tossed into the pond, sending water everywhere.

"Sunny!" Jen quickly swam to where his little brother was coughing and splashing, careful to avoid the claws on the GelfSkek's flailing secondary hands. "Hey, calm down, you're fine. It's just urWa again. Up to her usual nonsense!"

Standing on the rocks next to Jen's dry clothes was a young urRu about his age; an "urrling," if one wanted to use the technical term for Mystics born on Thra. Both pairs of arms were crossed, and a large foot tapped the ground impatiently.

"Well, it's about time you runts noticed I was here," urWa huffed. "I swear, Gelfling have huge ears and eyes, but you never pay attention."

Sunny glared at the Mystic girl and muttered, "Well, just a tap on the shoulder would've been fine. Didn't have to throw me…"

"Whatever," urWa replied, waving one of her hands dismissively. "The urRu elders want all the Gelfling back at home for a meeting."  
Rijan looked intrigued. "A meeting? What's going on?"

"Dunno," the young Mystic shrugged. "urSol just told me to tell you all to come home. And now I've done that, so put your clothes on and get moving."

With that, urWa turned and began walking back to the Valley center, not waiting for the triplets to follow. With a collective shrug, the brothers climbed out of the pond and wrung the water out of their hair as best they could. Jen and Rijan dressed quickly, but Sunny couldn't do much about his wet clothes except hope they'd dry more on the way back.

"You know," Rijan commented as he looked up at the sky. "It's probably a good thing we're going home. It looks like it might rain soon."

Jen looked up at the dark clouds - which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere - and frowned. "That's weird. It was completely clear this morning. Surely one of the Mystics would have predicted and mentioned if a storm was coming. They always tell us these things."

"Hmmm…" Sunny made the odd humming noise he always did when he was curious or thinking particularly hard about something. "Maybe there's something special about this storm. If the Mystics didn't predict it and are calling a meeting right when it's starting to show up, maybe the two are connected somehow?"

Before long, strong winds began whipping the branches above the Gelfling's heads. Thunder rumbled in the distance as fat, heavy raindrops began to speckle the dirt path. As they neared the village, Jen noticed two Gelfling girls about his age rushing up from the direction of the river.

The taller girl, Letha, carried a fishing pole over her shoulder and appeared less bothered by the sudden change in weather than her companion. Half-Drenchen, half-Grottan, Letha always liked it when it was dark and rainy, but knew better than to risk being out when there was lightning. Her mother Naia was the twin sister of Rijan's father Gurjin, making them cousins, although Jen and Sunny also viewed Letha as part of their extended family.

Kira, on the other hand, was not as enthusiastic about the rain. The hood of the light green cloak she always wore was pulled up over her head. Despite this, Kira held the cloak open slightly to provide cover for the little Fizzgig that followed her everywhere. Jen thought it was funny how despite her dainty appearance and being raised by the two most academic Gelfling he knew, Kira was very tough and enjoyed rugged activities like playing with wild animals and climbing trees to practice gliding down again.

One of the biggest rules for the female Gelfling living in the valley was to never fly upward. Dangerous creatures lurked outside the valley specifically hunting for Gelfling, so it was important to never venture too far, be it on foot or by air. Still, Kira couldn't resist stretching her wings any chance she got; even if she never had a chance to truly fly, Kira was daring enough to stretch the rules. Sometimes Jen wished he could be that brave, but compared to his friends, Jen had always been cautious and timid.

"Sunny! Rijan! Jen! There you all are!"

With a start, Jen realized that Kira and Letha had noticed his group and fallen into step with them. Fizzgig briefly left the shelter of Kira's cloak to sniff and growl at the brothers, but the rain soon drove him back under. Letha was already showing off the fish she had caught to Rijan and Sunny, which left Jen to speak to Kira alone.

"Did you go to the falls again today, Jen?" Kira asked, turning her head so she could see him from under her hood.

As Kira's large, brown eyes met his, Jen felt his ears go pink as he nodded. It was strange, he and Kira had been friends as long as Jen could remember. Lately, however, he couldn't help but think that things were starting to change between the two of them. Jen often caught himself staring at her longer than he intended, and whenever Kira was alone with him, Jen never knew what to say or do, for fear of making things awkward. He had privately asked his mother about his predicament, but she had simply told him not to worry. "You're just at that age," Deet had said, a bit too vaguely for Jen's liking.

"Letha and I went fishing. Well, Letha did most of the work. My parents wanted me to bring back some flowers for a plant book they're working on, but we got rained on before I could find it. I hope the kinds they want are still there after it rains, it would be such a shame if…"

Kira trailed off as their group came to a stop at the steps leading down to the Mystic's homes. A crowd of Mystics and Gelfling had gathered in the entryways to the cave homes as if they were expecting them. Two urRu, the Healer and the Chanter, were standing in the entryway of Master urSu's cave, wearing grim expressions on their already weary-looking faces. As soon as he spotted the young Gelfling, a third Mystic, urZah the Ritual Guardian, beckoned them to come closer. Upon their approach, Jen realized that his parents were standing next to urZah, looking quite tense.

"Mom? Dad? Papa?" Jen nervously addressed Deet, Rian, and Gurjin, respectively. "What's going on here?"

Deet gently laid a hand on her son's shoulder and began to speak, but urZah cut her off. "The Master has need of you, young one. Hurry inside, he is waiting."

Not sure what to say, Jen nodded and stepped inside, brushing past heavy curtains hung in the entryway. Sunny and Rijan looked questioningly at their parents and urZah, but the Mystic just shook his head; it was clear that only Jen was allowed inside.

It was understandable, though. Master urSu's health had never been very good, as far as the Gelfling could remember, and was steadily failing over the trine. Ever since he was very young, Jen had become quite attached to the urRu's leader, sitting and listening to his stories for hours and learning everything he could. In return, urSu had developed a genuine affection for the little Gelfling. Of course, he had loved and educated all the Gelfling's young ones over the years, but there was no denying that urSu had bonded most closely with Jen.

Standing just outside the entrance of the cave, Deet and Rian exchanged a sad, knowing glance. Not wanting to be too far when Jen returned, Sunny perched himself on a boulder next to them and murmured, "Master urSu doesn't have much time left, does he?"

Rian shook his head, "I'm afraid not, son. He wanted to talk to Jen before… well…"

"He returns to Thra?" Sunny offered sadly.

Nobody had a response.

Far from the Valley, deep in the barren plains of Thra, another leader was dying.

On a decadent bed in the Castle of the Crystal, Emperor skekSo's breath came in ragged gasps. His once proud and imposing figure was quite literally falling apart before his subjects' eyes, but skekSo was determined to keep his dignity to the end. Scanning the crowd that had gathered in his bed-chamber, the Emperor was filled with disgust.

 _Scavengers, the lot of them,_ he thought coldly.

As much as skekSo had wanted to deny it, the Darkening had ravaged his body to the point of no return, and now his fellow Skeksis were just waiting for him to die. He did not doubt that each one hoped to grab his scepter the second he passed on.

The only Skeksis that appeared completely uninterested in the power struggle were the three teenaged Skeklings hanging back behind their elders. The two girls, skekAt and skekDel, were both too soft-hearted, and skekSo's own child - a strong but quiet boy named skekMink - completely lacked any ambition to rule. In the old days, the Emperor had not envied how generations of Gelfling Maudras had to train suitable heirs - typically their eldest daughters - to their power. As an immortal being, skekSo never thought he'd have to do that with skekMink, but here he was.

Oh well.

The Emperor would be dead soon, what did he care?

"HmmMMMmmm…"

Without even opening his eyes skekSo knew that the Chamberlain had boldly approached his bedside. Over the centuries of rule, skekSil had proven himself to be a dangerously conniving, treacherous, two-faced schemer. The Emperor could trust the Chamberlain just about as far as he could throw him, and so was not surprised in the least when instead of bowing, skekSil began to reach for the Royal Scepter.

"MINE!" skekSo wheezed, lunging at the Chamberlain and grasping at the scepter with one bony hand. Although he leaped back in surprise, skekSil just looked back at the Emperor innocently, letting out another stupid whimper.

Enraged, skekSo swung his head around the room, eyes blazing as he hissed at the gathered crowd. The other Skeksis shuffled back nervously. Even on his deathbed, the Emperor managed to be intimidating. Only skekMink stepped forward, a concerned expression on his face, if only to see what his father would do.

Emperor skekSo felt himself fading away, but was determined to hold his own to the end. Through ragged gasps, he sat up defiantly and snarled, "I… I… I… I am… still… Emperor! I… ah… AH!"

Suddenly, a clawed hand flew to skekSo's chest as his heart seized up. His eyes rolled wildly with fear as the life drained from his decrepit body. With one final groan, skekSo's body finally gave out. The Darkening he had used to terrorize Thra for decades had finally overtaken him.

As the empty shell that had once been their Emperor crumbled to dust before their eyes, the Skeksis' thoughts were not on mourning the loss of their friend and leader. After all, a new era of Skeksis rule was about to begin.

The Chamberlain eyed the scepter once more, a wicked grin upon his beaked face.

It was time to make his move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions/comments/concerns are always appreciated! Hopefully I can get you guys the next part sooner rather than later.


	3. Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The urRu give Jen his quest, but fear of the unknown is not the only thing keeping him back. As the Gelfling discuss this turn of events, the Skeksis' in-fighting reaches its peak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the nearly 2-month hiatus, real life hit me like a freight train, but things are starting to look up! For now, please enjoy the story.

By the time the storm showed signs of letting up, Jen had been in the Master's cave for nearly an hour. None of the gathered Mystics had moved in all that time, nor had the resident Gelfling. As the minutes ticked by, most of the Gelfling realized what they had been summoned for, and it scared them. Most had been under the assumption that the Mystics were just as powerful as their former Lords, ancient and undying. Sure, they could be killed, but having one sicken and die like anyone else? It was simply unheard of.

Deet sat nervously with the rest of her family. Although the Gelfling had all suffered unimaginable losses before coming to the Valley, so far Jen and the other young ones had been shielded from life's harsher realities. During their time with the Mystics, the Gelfling had little experience with death. They would catch and eat fish and other small creatures on occasion, and sometimes a family would need to lay a household pet to rest in a small, informal funeral. In fact, no Gelfling had died the entire time they'd lived in the valley, and the population had actually increased, with a new childling or two born every year or so.

The only person Deet's sons had ever lost in their lifetime was Mira, who had once been in a loving, polyamorous relationship with Deet, Rian, and Gurjin. Despite not having any blood relation to her errant partner's children, Mira didn't hold it against Rian. She had bonded with the newborns within a few short hours of meeting them, firmly establishing herself as a second mother to the triplets. And then one day, all too soon, Mira never came home. The Skeksis had turned on all Gelfling seemingly overnight, and their own Castle Guard was no exception. Some guards had escaped, but Mira was not among them. Their children were not even a trine old when they lost her, too young to mourn or even remember Mira.

There was no time to dwell on lost love though. As the last drops of rain fell and the setting suns' light began to filter through the clouds, Jen emerged from the Master's cave, alone. The young Gelfling kept his eyes downcast, and he hugged urSu's threadbare robes close to his chest. It was all Deet could do not to rush over to comfort her son, but she held back as Jen turned to urZah, who gestured for him to follow.

The Ritual Guardian's funeral rites were no different than any other of the Mystic ceremonies: meticulously planned, long, and involved a lot of deep, sonorous chanting. Most of the Gelfling residents watched quietly, while others who were closest to urSu chose to participate in their own way. Some of the younger Gelfling had heard from their parents that many years ago, their friend Kylan had dream-stitched the memory of his now-wife Brea's late mother onto a seed pod, so that it could float away and carry on her story. Jen had hoped to be able to do this for the Master, but understood why letting seed pods with clues to the Gelfling's whereabouts fly all over the land would be a bad idea. Instead, he positioned himself off to the side, playing a sad tune on his firca, while his friends and brothers sat around him, listening mournfully. Even the normally-grouchy urWa looked sad, though she hid her morose expression from the other urrlings, urPhi and urMine.

Jen finished his song and looked up to find Deet, Rian, and Gurjin waiting patiently next to his small audience, with worried expressions on their faces. He looked at them quizzically; his parents clearly had something they wanted to talk about, but none of them could quite find the words. In the end, Gurjin was the first one to speak.

"Come on, you two," he said, tapping Sunny and Rijan on their shoulders. "It's getting late. Let's go home and get something to eat."

As the brothers got to their feet, Sunny glanced over at Jen and asked, "What about him? Isn't Jen coming with?"

"Just do as you're told," Deet replied, not unkindly. "Your father and I need to speak with Jen privately. We'll be back in a little while, don't worry."

As the boys followed Gurjin home, Jen could hear Rijan mutter, "That's not what we're worried about…" If anyone else heard it, they didn't react. Kira, Letha, and the trio of urrlings did not need to be asked twice to leave, and they all quickly excused themselves. Soon, only Jen, Rian, and Deet were left in this corner of the valley center.

Deet turned to her son and worriedly asked him to come with them to speak to urZah. Jen's ears folded back; he had a feeling that he knew what urZah wanted to talk about, but just the thought of it gave him anxiety. Was he ready for what the Mystics had in store for him? What would his family think?

Before he knew it, Jen and his parents found themselves in the Ritual Guardian's cave, facing urZah, urIm, and urSol. The three Mystics greeted the two older Gelfling cordially, before urZah got straight to the point.

"The time has come," the Ritual Guardian stated. "As you know, Jen, urSu has entrusted you with his final wisdom. The time is at hand, to banish the Darkening and bring an end to Skeksis rule. Now you alone must go to where the Master showed you. To Aughra's high hill, where she watches the heavens and keeps her secrets."

Rian and Deet's eyes widened in shock. "What!?" Rian exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but did you really just tell him to do what I think you said?"

"Father, please…" Jen murmured, while Deet shook her head in disbelief.

Rian, however, was too focused on his anger to be reasoned with. The furious Gelfling turned to urSol, and stated, "'You have our word, the urRu will provide a safe home for you and your little ones.' That's what you said, that night on the river. All these trine, and I've never forgotten that. You looked me in the eye and _swore_ that we could trust you with our children's lives. And now you want to send one of them, defenseless and alone, out into a world he knows nothing about?"

"In all fairness," Deet reasoned. "We always knew we wouldn't stay here forever. Something would have to be done eventually…"

"But why Jen? Why him, of all Gelfling? This is our son we're talking about, Deet!" argued Rian, before his blue eyes grew round and cold.

"Unless…" Rian's voice had grown deadly calm. Jen felt a chill run down his spine; he'd never seen his father this angry. "This is why you rescued Gelfling families to begin with. I always wondered why you took so many of us. So many young ones, especially. It all makes sense now. You could have just found an orphan or something to train just for this mission, but what's the sense in putting all your hopes on one Gelfling? No, you decided that it's better to keep your options open, so you brought us here to raise our childlings, all so that your Master could have his pick of the litter whenever he felt the time was right!"

"Rian!" Deet hissed. "We'd all be dead if it weren't for the Mystics. The only reason YOUR CHILDREN are still alive is that they intervened. I'm scared for Jen too, but speaking to the people who helped us like such a…"

"Enough!" Jen finally snapped. "You two aren't helping!"

While the Gelfling family argued, the three Mystics shared a particularly weary look. They had barely gotten to plead their case before the conversation descended into chaos. When one's species was entirely devoted to keeping the peace and avoiding conflict whenever possible, It wasn't unusual to have little empathy for this kind of behavior.

"If only urMa were here," urSol sighed, with a twinge of guilt. His other half was the reason the Peacemaker was gone, after all. "She would have known just what to say…"

UrIm finally put a stop to the fight, striking the ground once with the butt of his heavy walking stick. The blow echoed loudly in the small cave, causing the Gelfling's large, sensitive ears to flinch back at the noise. Still, it got their attention.

"Thank you," the Healer said, without a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Rian, Deet. Ever since we welcomed your people into our home, we have done our best to provide a safe refuge for you and your families to grow and thrive. We expected nothing in return, but the peace of mind that when all was said and done, there would still a chance to restore the balance of this world. It is true that a single Gelfling would be needed to achieve this goal, and that the Master was carefully observing and evaluating each childling while he educated them. I can assure you, though, he grew to love each and every one of them as his own, and dreaded knowing what would have to happen once he left this world."

Jen nodded and looked around at his parents and the Mystics. "I know he did, I loved him too, and I already miss him so much… but I am afraid."

The Ritual Guardian reached out and gently patted Jen's shoulder with a large hand. "That may be, young one. Thra knows you have reason. The Darkening imprisons the light. It destroys all beings, covets all energy. It is evil."

"Evil?" Jen asked.

"Evil does not exist," urZah answered. "Evil is disharmony between existences. Now go, Gelfling, with your questions."

With that, the Ritual Guardian turned away, gesturing at his fellow Mystics to follow. Only urSol hesitated, until the Gelfling family quietly took their leave. He sighed, hating that he had lied to Rian for so long, even if it was only a half-truth. For everyone's sake, the Chanter prayed that Jen would succeed.

When Rian, Deet, and Jen returned home, dinner was already on the table. The family of six ate quietly, given the day's somber events, but instead of helping to clean up afterward, Rijan and Sunny were immediately sent to their room so their parents could have a "serious discussion" with Jen. Rijan was about to protest being sent to bed early like a childling, but Sunny diplomatically complied, dragging his older brother along with him.

"You're such a mama's boy, Sunny!" Rijan protested, flopping sideways onto his bed. "They've been treating Jen weird all day, I just wanted to know what's going on…"

"And you complain like your dad," Sunny retorted. The GelfSkek boy knelt with one large ear pressed to the door. "If you were quiet for a second, you'd realize you could just sit here and listen with me."

Rijan sat up, surprised that his normally well-behaved brother would do something so sneaky to their parents. Creeping forward on hands and knees, Rijan positioned himself so that he'd be able to clearly see the rest of the family still at the table from beneath the doorway, in addition to hearing them.

 _I just hope they don't dreamfast,_ Rijan thought, ears straining forward as he listened.

"…And that's all Master urSu said. Then he was gone," Jen explained. Deet and Rian had gotten most of the story already, so this repetition was mainly for Gurjin's benefit. "I just need to find this Aughra, and then I guess she'll tell me what to do next."

Gurjin listened quietly, waiting until his stepson was done talking before passing any judgment. Once Jen was finished, Gurjin crossed his arms and looked at Deet and Rian. "And I'm guessing you two aren't fond of this idea, are you?"

"Well, I have to admit, I don't quite understand urSu's plan," Deet confessed, reaching over to put her hand on top of Jen's. "But of all the Mystics, he was the one who understood the Darkening the most. He understood Thra, and if he thought Jen could help, then Thra thinks Jen can help, too. That's how I see it, anyway."

"Sound logic," Gurjin agreed, before addressing Rian. "You don't think so?"

Rian sighed, it was clear he was going to be outnumbered on this one. "It's not that I think we should just do nothing. If there's a way to make Thra better, then by all means, let's figure out a plan and do it. But why only Jen? Why our son? He's… he's not ready to go alone."

Jen looked across the table at his father, feeling conflicted. He knew deep down, Rian was only worried about him, as any good parent would be under the circumstances. Still, it was hard for Jen not to feel like if he was braver and stronger like his brothers, Rian would be a little less hesitant.

"Maybe not…" Jen murmured, "But If it's going to help people and give them a better life, I have to try, right?"

At that, Gurjin's ears pricked up, and a thoughtful look spread across his face. "A better life, eh? Now, where have I heard that before?"

Deet smiled, immediately realizing what Gurjin was referring to. "Oh yes," she said. "It's been many trine, but I think I remember someone making a promise about that, once upon a time."

Shaking his head in resignation, Rian sighed, "I suppose you're going to want to dreamfast that memory? I was only half-conscious that night, you know."

As the other Gelfling at the table touched hands, Deet replied, "That's why Gurjin and I will fill in the blanks. Jen should see and hear this for himself."

Jen had very little personal experience with dreamfasting. The Gelfling old enough to remember life outside the Valley made a point of not sharing too many memories of the "old life" with the younger ones. It was probably to spare them from feeling like they were missing out on a much bigger world, and as a result, the younger generation didn't use it much beyond passing along little messages. Full-scale memories from "before" were a rare occasion.

Closing his eyes, Jen felt himself transported back into his parents' memories. He found himself looking into a softly-lit bedroom. It was late at night, but two full moons shone brightly through a large window, and nocturnal creatures chirped and sang in the woods outside. Near the window, slightly younger versions of Deet and Gurjin sat on either side of a very exhausted Rian. His skin and hair glistened with sweat, and he could barely keep his eyes open, but Rian's expression as he gazed down at the three tiny bundles nestled in his arms was one of pure joy.

 _This is the night we were born,_ Jen realized. The three red, scrunchy little faces peeking out of the blankets could only belong to himself and his brothers, after all. It was rather surreal seeing himself and his family in the past like this, but he could feel that to his parents, this was one of the most cherished moments of their lives.

In the dreamfast, baby Jen and Rijan were fast asleep, completely worn out from the ordeal of being born. Sunny lay beside them, unfocused eyes blinking up at his father, until the newborn let out a soft, wide yawn and snuggled against Rian's arm.

Gurjin leaned in for a closer look at the triplets, saying, " _They really are something, aren_ ' _t they?"_

With a loving expression on her face, Deet agreed. " _I_ ' _m just glad they_ ' _re all so healthy. Our little babies..."_ she murmured, resting her head against Rian's. The young father returned the affectionate gesture, before turning his gaze back to the children.

" _So,"_ Rian said softly, his voice tired and hoarse. " _Your names are Jen, Rijan, and skekSon, huh?"_

Outside the dreamfast, Jen frowned to hear Sunny's Skeksis name, but listened closely.

" _It_ ' _s great to finally meet you three,"_ Rian continued. " _You have a great life ahead of you."_

As Deet ended the dreamfast, Jen heard Rian's voice echo, " _We promise!"_

The Gelfling family sat quietly for a moment, mulling over what they had just seen. Rian stared at his hands, not looking up even when Deet reached over to take one.

"You promised them a great life, Rian," she reminded him softly. "And ever since then, you've kept your word. You always did what's best for our children, and I love you for that."

Gurjin nodded. "She's right, but what if…" he swallowed, choosing his next words carefully. "What if this _is_ what's best for them? If Jen goes and does this, things could go back to the way they were meant to be. No more hiding, no more Darkening, no more Skeksis. Maybe this is how they'll get to live that 'great life' you wanted for them."

"Dad…" Jen finally spoke up. "You always tell me to be brave. I know I don't always do a very good job, but this time… this time, I have to try. This is much bigger than us, and if Thra thinks I can help it, then maybe that's just what I've got to do. Please let me go, I promise I'll make you proud."

Suddenly, Rian stood up. As Deet and Gurjin looked on, he rushed around to the other side of the table where Jen sat, locking his arms around his son in a tight embrace.

"Oh Jen," he murmured. "I'm always proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course! You and Rijan and Sunny… you all got the best of us and more. Watching you grow up into the Gelfling you are now… I just wish there was a way I could protect you and keep you all safe. But if you truly think this is the right thing to do, I know that there's not a force on Thra that could stop you."

Jen tearfully hugged Rian back. It had been a hard day, but knowing that his father had faith in him after all made it just a little bit better. "Thank you…" he whispered.

For a minute or so Rian held onto his oldest son, gently stroking his hair, the way he had when Jen was little and needed comfort. At some point, Deet and Gurjin joined in the hug, and when they broke away, Rian looked at Jen and smiled. "You should probably leave first thing tomorrow. If I remember right, Aughra's orrery is only a day's walk from here. We can explain everything to your brothers when they wake up, but it'll be safer for you to travel if you have as much daylight as possible."

"Okay," Jen nodded, wishing he could at least say goodbye somehow.

Deet reached over and smoothed Jen's hair where Rian had mussed it up. "Go on and get some sleep," she suggested. "It's going to be a busy day tomorrow, but you'll be home before you know it.

Sunny and Rijan were already in bed when Jen entered their room. Their brother's bed was closest to the door, pushed up against the wall, so as soon as Jen lay down, he immediately curled up facing away from the other beds and fell into a restless sleep.

In the middle bed, Rijan peeked over his shoulder discreetly, before turning to look at Sunny, who was also wide awake. Both of them were too shocked to even comment on what they'd heard. In what world was it a good idea to send their quiet, gentle brother on such a dangerous mission? No Gelfling had left the valley since they'd arrived, not even tough ones like their aunt Naia or grandfather Ordon. What was so important that their parents would let Jen do such a thing?

"Tomorrow morning," Rijan whispered to Sunny. "We wait until just after he leaves. I think I have a plan."

The Ritual-Master skekZok had barely finished the Emperor's funeral rites when the battle of succession began to rage. Out of all the Skeksis, only two had been bold enough to present themselves as possible heirs: skekUng the Garthim-Master, and skekSil the Chamberlain. As their elders fought amongst themselves, the trio of Skeklings had split off from the rest, huddled into a corner of the throne room to observe the adults.

"Why don't you say something, skekMink?" skekAt suggested innocently. "The Emperor was your father, after all. Surely you at least get a say?"

Prince skekMink scoffed, anxiously smoothing his dark, amethyst feathers. "And tell them what? 'Excuse me, sirs, but as someone half your size, I think you two should stop fighting and listen to my opinion on who should be Emperor!' Yeah, I can see that going swimmingly."

"Hmph…" skekAt pouted. "I guess you have a point. What about you, skekDel? If you got a choice, would you pick the Garthim-Master or the Chamberlain?"

The third Skekling had barely spoken all day, and wasn't exactly keen to start now, especially about such a sensitive political issue. Still, what could it hurt?

"Honestly, I think we'd be better off-"

"TRIAL BY STONE!"

"TRIAL BY STONE!"

"TRIAL BY STONE!"

With a start, the young Skeksis turned to see the elders crowing at each other with renewed fervor. The Slave-Master barked orders as a small host of dead-eyed Podling slaves entered the room and began pulling on a hidden rope. A trapdoor opened at the foot of the throne, revealing a dark, chipped pedestal, flanked by a pair of ceremonial broadswords.

As the Garthim-Master and Chamberlain each grabbed a weapon and took their positions, skekAt and skekMink exchanged a worried glance. As if she could read her friends' minds, skekDel quietly approached the Ritual-Master and whispered, "Father, what's going on? What is Trial by Stone?"

Without sparing his daughter so much as a glance, skekZok just grinned wickedly and replied, "Oh, you shall see, my dear. Just watch, and learn!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, sorry for the delay! I won't promise anything, in case something comes up, but I will do my best to stay on top of things better. Questions/comments/concerns are always appreciated, and thanks for reading!


End file.
